By Myra Mudassar July 1, 2016 As I was journeying to and from Salt Lake City for a national speech and debate tournament, I had the privilege of discovering a side of America that I had never seen before. I was overwhelmed by the stoic desert and rugged red canyons of hardiness and valor as I ventured through the enchanting state of New Mexico. I saw the scenic snowcapped mountains of Utah that majestically soared…

By Rabiya Khan March 22, 2016 As a Pakistani-American Muslim, I was feeling helpless and angry after the string of terrorist attacks last week. Consequently, I was grateful to see Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's post after the Taliban's despicable terrorist attack in Lahore, Pakistan on Sunday. At that time of his statement on Facebook, very few people had mentioned it on their Facebook newsfeed and it wasn't getting a lot of media attention. Zuckerberg poignantly…

By Huma Munir March 15, 2016 Once again, Donald Trump has tried to simplify the issue of extremism in the Islamic world by simply suggesting that Islam “hates” the United States. As a Muslim-American, I don’t think Islam hates America. In fact, Islam requires of its followers to obey the laws of their country of residence. The Prophet Muhammad said loyalty to one’s nation is part of one’s faith. Since its inception, Islam has been…

By Dean Obeidallah February 18, 2016 Payback is a bitch–especially when dished out by the Pope! For years Donald Trump has questioned President Obama’s Christian faith. In fact, “question” is too mild. Trump, when not waging his racist birther campaign, tried his best to paint Obama as a Muslim. For example in 2011, Trump stated on Obama’s failure at that time to produce his long form birth certificate: “He may have one, but there's something…

By Seema Iyer, Esq. Ferbruary 16, 2016 Last week I attended the post-conviction hearing of Adnan Syed in Baltimore, Maryland. (I wrote about it for The Dean's Report.) Syed, the subject of the immensely popular Serial podcast, is getting another chance for a new trial after being convicted in 2000 of murdering his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee in January 1999. The five day court proceeding, included many notable quotes. These are some of my most…

By Seema Iyer, Esq. Ferbruary 11, 2016 Pulling up to the mosque I didn’t know what to expect but I dressed for the occasion…..I guess??? I wore what I’d wear to temple, a long salwar top and jeans. But was this appropriate for a community briefing on the post-conviction hearing for the now infamous anti-hero of the "Serial" podcast, Adnan Syed? A room filled with brown people who looked like me immediately brought a sense…

By Saira Bhatti January 2, 2016 Dear Asra Nomani and Hala Arafa: You co-wrote a piece for The Washington Post titled, “As Muslim women, we actually ask you not to wear the hijab in the name of interfaith solidarity.” And while you may have meant well, you basically reduced and demonized hijabis to be judgmental ultra conservatives. This piece is reductionist. First of all, there are no ex-hijabis or headscarf wearing women who talk about…

By Areej Khan September 1, 2015 As a young Muslim, living in America is a little more difficult than it is for the average teen. Having to prove that you are "one of the good ones" can get frustrating, and often depressing. Sometimes we as Muslims have to just deal with the ignorance of the ill informed and just try our best to educate them, but when it comes from our peer, it's even more…

By Huma Munir July 6, 2015 As people gathered to celebrate the Fourth of July this year, there was heightened security in prominent locations across the country to counter any terrorist attack. The FBI issued a bulletin last month that put the Fourth of July events as possible targets for ISIS terror activity. But while some people claiming to be “Muslim,” might be plotting the next terrorist attack, there are others who marched in the…

By Rasha Abousalem June 17, 2015 I can still recall the smiles of those children I encountered in the Syrian refugee camps in Jordan almost one year ago today. I can still hear the excitement in their voices, the curiosity in their eyes of who I was, and the wanting of love and attention as their arms grasped tightly around my neck. I did not know it at the time, but I was a symbol…

By Seema Iyer, Esq. June 15, 2015 The recent suicide of Kalief Browder gained national attention because his story of solitary confinement, false arrest and interminable court delays captured our attention. But why Kalief? There are hundreds of Kaliefs, maybe some sitting and sweating in Rikers (where he was incarcerated) right this very second. The difference is that Kalief Browder became the cause de celeb of Rand, Rosie and many others. Okay, so how did…

By Seema Iyer, Esq. May 6, 2015 Just a few days ago, the Etan Patz trial finally concluded – but with no resolution. Etan Patz was the 6 year-old boy who vanished in 1979, on May 25th, the day we know as National Missing Children’s Day. Etan was the first missing child to have ever been pictured on a milk carton. It wasn’t until 2012 when Pedro Hernandez, a disabled factory worker from New Jersey,…

By Aziza Faruqi May 9, 2015 The second Sunday of May is observed as Mother's Day. It is a day culminating in a short but aggressive marketing campaign every year forcing children into buying big and small, useful and useless gifts for their mothers. While Jane Seymour is coaxing you to keep your heart open so love can find its way, Hallmark is flooding the greeting cards isles with Mother’s Day cards in Walgreens and grocery stores across…